The tafsīr of al-Qurṭubī is perhaps one of the most compendious of them all and is certainly among the most famous. As its title, al-Jāmi‘ li Aḥkām al-Qur’ān – The General Judgments of the Qur’an, suggests, its main focus is on the rulings and judgments to be found in the Qur’ān. However, in the course of doing that, al-Qurṭubī examines all the relevant sciences necessary, such as the ḥadīth pertaining to the āyahs, events in the sīrah, what the Companions, their Followers and other noted people of knowledge said about the āyahs, essential aspects of Arabic etymology, syntax and usage, copiously illustrated by examples, and much more.
This volume covers Sūrat al-Mā’idah in its entirety. Among its subjects are the āyāts on dietary matters. The sūrah also recounts the primordial event of the two sons of Adam and their strife. Perhaps the most substantial section is a sustained address to the People of the Book while also considering many issues to do with Muslims’ relations with them. Then there is the great āyat announcing the completion of the dīn. The sūrah concludes with the account of the Prophet ‘Īsā, peace be upon him, and his disciples and of the Table sent down from Heaven.
